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The needs of parents of hospitalized children
Insights
Hospitalized children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Parental well-being
- Family-centered care
Background:
- Hospitalization of children presents significant stressors for parents.
- Understanding parental needs is crucial for effective family support in pediatric settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the primary needs of parents whose children are hospitalized for extended periods (≥2 weeks).
- To determine which healthcare professionals are best positioned to meet these identified parental needs.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative study utilizing a 44-item Likert scale questionnaire.
- Involved 22 parents of children aged 3–10 years hospitalized for at least two weeks.
Main Results:
- Parents prioritized the need for information and the need to feel important and useful to their hospitalized child.
- Physicians and nurses were identified as the key healthcare providers most likely to fulfill these parental needs.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers, particularly physicians and nurses, should focus on delivering information and fostering parental involvement.
- Addressing parental informational and emotional needs is vital for supporting families during pediatric hospitalization.
Abstract:
Parents of hospitalized children experience many stressors and have many needs. The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of parents who have a child hospitalized for at least 2 weeks and to identify who is most likely to meet parents' needs. Twenty-two parents of children between the ages of 3 and 10 years of age completed a 44-item Likert scale questionnaire. Parents identified the need for information and the need to feel important and useful to their child as their most important needs. The physician and nurse were identified as the persons most likely to meet their needs.